The Seasonal Effects on our Voices

Lynda Stucky December 11, 2014 Develop Your Voice

Imagine the devastating effects of waking up on the day of your big presentation and finding that your voice sounds scratchy, hoarse and weak. Worse yet, it has disappeared completely! Nearly all of us rely on a well-functioning voice at work every day. If we were to lose our voice on any given day, the results could be disastrous.

Top 10 Successful Speaking Strategies to Use in Cross-Cultural Conversations for the Accented Speaker-Part 1

Lynda Stucky November 13, 2014 Build Your Brand, Reduce a Foreign Accent

Have you ever felt frustrated that the conversation  you had with a colleague or supervisor fell short of your intentions?  Maybe you were trying to communicate something and it was clear that he/she didn’t understand what you said.  Here are some ideas that may help you:

Six Holiday Gift Ideas that Promote Language Skills

Lynda Stucky November 27, 2014 Develop Language, Develop Your Speech, Develop Your Voice

Are you looking for a unique gift this holiday season for the board game lover on your list? Whether it is for a child or an adult, a native English speaker or non-native English speaker, building language skills is important for anybody at any level. How about a game that promotes language skill development or vocabulary building and promises hours of fun and laughter with your friends, family or colleagues!

High Efficiency Speech: SUV or Hybrid?

Lynda Stucky December 18, 2014 Build Your Brand, Develop Language, Develop Your Speech, Develop Your Voice

Would your speech compare to an SUV (using a lot of words to convey your message) or more like a Hybrid (speaking more efficiently using fewer words)?

In American business, we value conciseness. Communicating succinctly is an effective and powerful tool for persuading, convincing, or reinforcing messages. Speech that is too wordy is dull and boring and may leave the listener wondering what the point is. Similarly, a response that take 3-4 minutes to get to the point is too long to hold someone’s attention especially if the speaker veered from the main point in off-topic details. You or the speaker may have even forgotten what the question was after several minutes.

Communication Gifts That Your Audiences Will Love

Lynda Stucky December 24, 2014 Build Your Brand, Develop Language, Develop Your Speech, Develop Your Voice, Public Speaking, Reduce a Foreign Accent, Reduce a Regional Accent

While many things can go wrong in a presentation, don’t forget to consider all the things that you do well to awe your audiences. Here are 12 speech, language, and voice gifts to “give” your audiences every time you present. They will love you for it!

1. Optimal pitch–The pitch you speak at every day is your habitual pitch level. But does it match your optimal pitch level? The optimal pitch is where you vocal cords function their best. Too low or too high can be hard to listen to and could damage your vocal cords and make you hoarse.